Ben Doak leaves Spanish football awestruck with Scotland U21 masterclass as Liverpool kid dusts off his signature move

More than a few within Spanish football dropped their jaw on Tuesday night when Ben Doak delivered a stunning performance for Scotland U21s.

Doak was part of a Scotland team that fell just short against one of the top ranked teams at that age-group and was unlucky not to open the scoring in the first half. A sole goal from Turrientes was the difference in the end but it was a Scottish performance to kick off qualifying for Euro 2025 that inspired plenty of hope and optimism.

And it was Doak in particular who stole the show with X (formerly Twitter) on fire about his performance. One Liverpool fan was left with hearts in their eyes when he pulled off “the Ben Doak special” – receiving the ball on the half-way line in a seemingly innocuous position, but turning his defender on the blink of an eye without even touching the ball and racing towards goal. It left Alejandro Frances, tasked with marking him, stumbling to the floor and grasping at his shirt as Doak careered away.

A quick search of his name returns a multitude of Spanish-language posts blown away by Liverpool’s 17-year-old sensation. One wrote: “Ben Doak. Electricity, self-confidence, ball retention and the ability to drop his shoulder and create danger. The best of the game, honestly. Looking forward to seeing him with Liverpool in the Premier League,” while another added: “What a diamond, 17 years old and pure fire!”

One fan rated him “the best player on the pitch” with his “explosiveness, speed and audacity” enough to cause any senior team problems. And another, seemingly a Liverpool fan in South America, said: “I said it and I reiterate it again: BEN DOAK IS MORE THAN SERIOUS.”

Scotland boss Scot Gemmill was equally pleased – and noted the youngster wasn’t even fully fit yet. He said after the game: “It was an exceptional performance from Ben Doak. I would even add that’s there more to come from him. He’s not fully match fit at the moment because of his limited minutes as he is playing for such a good club.

“Imagine a fully-fit Ben Doak! I thought it was a really top performance and hopefully everyone saw that. Credit to the players for executing the game plan. I am actually not too disappointed because I am really proud of the players.”

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